Control pedals are typically provided in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, which are foot operated by the driver. Separate control pedals are provided for operating brakes and an engine throttle. When the motor vehicle has a manual transmission, a third control pedal is provided for operating a transmission clutch. The control pedals are typically connected to control devices by push-pull cables, rods, or other mechanical transmission devices which convert the limited rotary motion of the pedals into useful mechanical motion at the control devices to control operation of the motor vehicle. The engine throttle is typically connected to an accelerator pedal through a mechanical cable such as a Bowden cable. This mechanical linkage has a desirable and functional “feel” wherein the pressure required for advancing the control pedal to accelerate the motor vehicle is greater than the pressure required for maintaining the pedal in a fixed position to maintain the motor vehicle at a constant speed. This difference of required pressures is often referred to as a “hysteresis effect”. The pressure required to advance the control pedal is typically relatively high. This is desirable to obtain adequate return pressure to return the pedal to the idle position in a desired amount of time when foot pressure is removed from the control pedal. The pressure required to advance the control pedal is easily provided when accelerating but would become uncomfortable over time to maintain a relatively constant speed. Therefore, the hysteresis effect is important in providing a reasonable force for maintaining the accelerator pedal in position to comfortably drive at a generally constant speed while providing an adequate return force for returning the control pedal to idle to decelerate the motor vehicle.
There have been many attempts to introduce an electrical linkage between the control pedal and the control device. Typically, a position sensor converts the position of the control pedal into an electrical signal which is sent to the control device. This electrical linkage has far fewer routing limitations than the mechanical linkages. The control pedal, however, must be provided with a hysteresis device to obtain the “feel” of a control pedal having a mechanical linkage. Various proposals have been made to provide a control pedal with both an electrical linkage and a mechanical hysteresis device. While these proposed control pedals may adequately provide the “feel” of a control pedal with a mechanical linkage, they are relatively complex and expensive to produce. Additionally, the proposed control pedals require a relatively large amount of space. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a control pedal assembly which is electronically coupled and has a mechanical hysteresis device, is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce, and/or is highly reliable in operation.